1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image input apparatus for photographing an object and inputting a video signal for reproducing an image of the object on a screen. In particular, the present invention relates to an image input apparatus which functions to display a cursor mark, such as an arrow mark, on the reproduced image.
2. Description of the Background Art
Image input apparatuses such as a video presentation camera or the like are known. The image input apparatus is constructed of a stage and a video camera for photographing an object, such as a document or a sample, placed on the stage. The image input apparatus is used, for example, by a reporter or a lecturer during a meeting so as to output a video signal for reproducing an image of the object to at least an external unit such as cathode ray tube (CRT) display devices, liquid crystal display (LCD) devices, or an LCD projector. The image of the object is reproduced on a large scale screen by the LCD projector or on respective screens of a plurality of display devices, so that many people can simultaneously observe the object.
In order to direct the attention of the observers to a selected part of the object on the screen, the reporter directly points at the selected part of the object on the stage by using a stick or a pen. As a result, the image of the stick indicating the selected part of the object is displayed on the screen.
However, the image of the indicating stick hides a relatively large area of the image of the object from view. Even if the indicating stick is transparent except for the tip portion, the quality of the image of the object in the area photographed through the transparent portion of the stick is unavoidably lowered. This problem of the conventional image input apparatus is serious especially when the object to be photographed by the video camera contains fine characters or figures.